Radiator vent valve



June 3, 1930.

E. JACOBUS RADIATOR VENT VALVE Filed Dec. 20, 1928 'mv TOR W ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES EDWARD JACOBUS, OF, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY RADIATOR VENT VALVE Application filed December 20, 1928. Serial N-o.'327,25l.

This invention relates in general to thermostatic valves to control the flow of fluid or fluids therethrough in accordance with the temperature of the fluid, and more particularly the invention relates to a radiator vent valve of the general type described in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,547,- 652, dated July 28, 1925. This type of de vice includes a valve which is thermostatically closed and opened upon influx of steam and air respectively into the valve casing, whereby air is permitted freely to flow out of the radiator as the steam enters it and steam is prevented from flowing out of the radiator after the air has been exhausted.

One object of the present invention is to provide a valve of the character described embodying novel and improved features of construction whereby the valvemay be easily and quickly applied to and removed from a radiator and is rugged and simple in construction so as to be capable of withstanding hard usage and handling without possibility of injury thereto.

Another object is to provide such a valve including a novel andfimprovedvform of casing whereby entrance of foreign matter such as moulding sand, etc., into the casing is prevented so that interference with the operation of the valve by such foreign matter is obviated.

A further object is to provide a radiator vent valve of the character described including a novel and improved construction and arrangement of thermostatic valve and a check valve for preventing influx of air into the radiator as the steam recedes and temperature decreases.

Other objects are to provide novel and improved construction and arrangement of such a check valve whereby gravity normally tends to unseat the valve and the tendency thereof to stick to its seat is obviated; to provide a radiator vent valve of the general character described comprising an attaching bushing for securing the valve to a radiator and which forms a part ofthe valve casing, a baffle or screen plate being arranged in the opening through the bushing between the inlet end of the bushing and the valve parts, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out by the following description.

7 Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding and like parts are designated throughout the several views by the reference characters,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a radiator vent valve embodyingmy invention showing the same applied to a radiator.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 3, and i Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken onthe line 3'3 of Figure 2.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the reference character 1 designates a bushing having an externally threaded tubular cylindrical por tion 2 at one end of which is a polygonal peripheral flange 3. The end of the bushing adjacent the flange 3 is rabbeted as at 4- and has seated within the rabbeted portion a screen or baffle plate 5 which extends transversely of the opening through the bushing. Also secured in the rabbeted portion 4 is a cup-shaped casing section 6 with the edge of the open side of the casing in abutting relation to the screen plate 5 and coaxial with and of substantially the same diameter as the interior of the bushing 1. The casing section 6 is provided at one side thereof, in the present instance the top when the valve is applied to a radiator, with an outlet pas- 7 which may be formed in a nipple 8- which is substantially right angular in shape and has one arm 9 thereof passing through an opening in the casing and secured to the casing by a nut 10 and by solder or otherwise, as may be desired. The other arm 11 ofthe nipple 8 is disposed substantially tangential to the casing 6 exteriorly thereof and in close relation thereto, said arm having an outwardly opening valve seat 12 in the outlet passage 7. Said outlet passage 7 is en larged outwardly of said valve seat 12, as indicated at 14, to loosely receive a ball valve 15, and inclines downwardly away froinsaid valve seat. 7

With this construction the ball valve 15 is normally influenced away from the valve seat 12 by action of gravity and such movement may be limited in any suitable manner as by a stop pin 16 which extends transversely of the outlet passage. In applying the valve to a radiator the bushing 1 is screwed into the usual large interiorly thread ed opening provided at the top of the end section of a radiator A, with the arm 11 of the nipple 8 at the top. The screen plate 5 is formed with one or two small openings 50 adjacent the top side thereof and with a plurality of similar openings 51 at the bottom side thereof the openings 50 permitting influx of steam into the casing section 6 while the openings 51 permit water to flow outwardly from the casing section. The screen plate thereby serves to prevent the sudden surging of steam or water into the casing section 6 and also excludes foreign matter such as moulding sand. The inner end of the nipple 8 is formed with a valve seat 17 with which cooperates a valve head 18 carried by a valve rod 19 mounted on a curved strip 20 of thermostatic metal, one end of which is secured to the casing adjacent to valve seat 17.

In the present instance one end of the thermostaticstrip 20 is provided with an opening 21 to slip over the inner end of the nipple 8 between the nut 10 and the casing, whereby the strip is securely iastened to the interior of the casing. The opposite end oi. the thermostatic strip is disposed substantially opposite the valve seat 17 and dis tantly spaced therefrom, said end being provided with a transverse opening 22 for supporting the valve rod 19.

The valve rod 19 is of a length to extend between the free end of the thermostatic strip and the valve seat 17, and the end of said rod opposite the valve head 18 is provided with a reduced portion 23 loosely fitted within the opening 22 in the thermostatic strip 20. The end of the rod 19 outwardly of the valve head 18 is reduced at 2 to a diameter less than that of the outlet passage 7, said reduced end 24 serving to hold the valve head in position to engage the valve seat 17.

In the operation of the valve, When the radiator A filled with air and steam is admitted thereto, the thermostatic strip 20 is distended so as to maintain the valve head 18 out of engagement with the seat 17 and permit escape of air. \Vhen steam enters the valve casing 6, the thermostatic strip is expanded so as to cause the free end thereof to move toward and transversely of the valve seat 17. This action exerts a longitudinal thrust on the valve rod 19 which causes the valve head 18 to engage the seat 17 and prevent the escape of steam through the outlet 7. The thermostatic strip 20 serves to hold the valve head in closed position against the valve seat for a considerable period. of time even after the radiator begins to cool. After a certain temperature is reached the thermostatic strip releases the valve head from the valve seat, whereupon the vacuum previously formed in the radiator draws the check valve 15 with a snap action against the valve seat 12, so as to prevent influx of air into the radiator. hen steam again enters the radiator and exerts a pressure on whatever air there may be' present, the check valve 15 is forced from its seat 12, and this unseating of the check valve is facilitated by the action of gravity on the check valve due to the inclination of the valve seat 12 and the outlet passage 7.

It will be understood that the thermostatic strip 20 may be formed of any suitable metal and in any suitable manner to accomplish the desired result, and that the connection of the valve rod with the thermostatic strip may be any suitable one as will permit the relative movement of the strip and valve rod to accomplish the objects of the invention. The valve is simple and inexpensive in construction, and the particular shape of the thermostatic strip is especially adapted for use in a substantially cylindrical casing as shown, which is artistic and pleasing in appearance, especially in connection with the polygonal bushing 1 upon which the casing section 6 is arranged substantially co-axial. It Will also be observed that the flange 3 of the bushing extends beyond the periphery of the casing section 6 a suliicient distance to protect the outlet nipple 8 from lateral blows such would tend to dislodge the nipple from the casing.

lVhen it is desired to adapt the valve to prevent the escape of water therethrough, a bell or float 25 may be rigidly secured to the valve rod 19, said float being so positioned With respect to the inlet of the casing that water entering the casing will raise the float and move the valve rod 19 so as to cause closing engagement of the valve head and valve seat 17 It will be noted that the connection of the valve rod 19 with thermostatic strip is particularly adapted for permitting the relative movement of the valve rod and. the thermostatic strip as is necessary wiiere a float as described is used.

Obviously the details of construction of. the valve may be modified or changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the. spirit or scope of the invention, and therefore I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A valve device of the character described comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a thermostatically operated valve for opening and closing said outlet upon influx of cold and hot fluids respectively into said casing, said outlet having an outwardly opening check valve normally influenced into open position by gravity and adapted to be drawn to its seat by vacuum within the casing to permit fluid to flow out of said casing and prevent influx of air into said casing when said thermostatic valve opens said outlet, respectively.

2. A valve device of the character described comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a theinostatically operated valve for opening and closing said outlet upon influx of cold and hot fluids respectively into said casing, said outlet having an outwardly facing valve seat and a down wardly inclined passage leading therefrom, and a ball valve cooperating with said valve seat, normally tending to roll by action of gravity away therefrom and adapted to be drawn against said valve seat by vacuum within said casing.

3. A valve device of the character described comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a thermostatically operated valve for opening and closing said outlet upon influx of cold and hot fluids re-' spectively into said casing, said outlet having an outwardly facing valve seat in substantially a vertical plane and a passage leading therefrom having a surface downwardly inclined from said valve seat, and a ball valve cooperating with said valve seat, normally tending to roll by action of gravity away therefrom and adapted to be drawn against said valve seat by vacuum within said casing.

4. A valve device of the character described comprising abushing having one end to be screwed into an opening in a radiator with its axis substantially horizontal, a substantially cylindrical cup-like casing section secured upon said bushing with its open side in substantially coaxial relation to and coextensive with the opening through said bushing so that said opening serves as the inlet for the casing, said casing having an outlet at the upper portion thereof, and

I a thermostatically controlled valve for opening and closing said outlet upon influx of cold and hot fluids respectively into said casing.

5. A valve device of the character described comprising a substantially cup-like casing having at its open end a coaxial exteriorly threaded tubular portion of substantially the same interior diameter as said casing to be screwed into an opening in a radiator with its axis substantially horizontal for securing the casing to the radiator, said casing having an outlet in the upper EDWARD J ACOBUS. 

